Make Spooky Bat Wings

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Looking for a fun, economical costume idea? Does your child love to pretend he is an animal? Instead of buying expensive costumes at a store this year, try making a special spooky outfit. Encourage your kid to fashion his own bat wings that are perfect for an imaginative Halloween story creation. Not only will this bat wing activity show your child how to create his own original costume, but he'll also come to better understand size and shape as well as develop his fine motor skills!

What You Need:

Large sheets of black paper, preferably thick paper such as poster board

Hole punch

White crayon or chalk

Scissors

Thick black string or yarn

Glitter

Glue

Tempera paints

Paintbrush

What You Do:

Start by discussing bats with your child. It may be helpful to read a non-fiction book about bats or show him a few photographs. Ask him to describe what a bat looks like. Talk about the bat wings specifically in terms of shape, size, color, and function.

Now ask your child to use chalk or a white crayon to draw outlines of bat wings on the black paper. They should be large enough in size to fit him.

Help your child to cut the wings out.

Use the hole punch to punch three holes in each wing. The top and bottom holes will be for the shoulder straps. The middle holes will be used to fasten the wings together. Make sure that the holes are even and line up on each wing. The hole punching in this step should be done by an adult, but your child can help measure and mark where the holes should go.

Encourage your child to embellish the bat wings to give them a personalized touch. Have him use glitter in dark colors (such as purple and blue) along with glue and tempera paints to create texture and patterns.

Set the wings aside to dry.

Thread the string through the holes. Each wing will have a shoulder strap created by threading one piece of string through the top and bottom holes. Connect the wings by threading another piece of string through the middle hole on each wing, and then tying the two together.

After the bat wings are completed, adjust the strings so the wings fit your child. Watch as he flies away into the world of eerie pretend play!